Pebble graining moist leather by ironing



March 14, 1%? H. RQSE 9 9 PEBBLE GRAINING MOIST LEATHER BY IRONING Filed cm. 26, 1962 Iron Temperafure 300 3507-7 26 20r3 Times For Des/red E ffecf on 6min Side of Skin softened ,28

Buffed Flesh Side J F /'g. 2 Fig. 3

Henry Rose INVENTOR.

BY Mule 15% tates This invention comprises a novel and useful process for tanning goatskins and more particularly pertains to a process for producing a highly attractive artificial grain finish to a skin which is quite dissimilar to a natural grain finish for goatskins.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a process for finishing leather goods and especially goatskins which will enable the obtaining of a finished surface upon the grain side of the skin having a very attractive appearance which is quite different from that of any natural grain goatskin finish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process in accordance with the preceding object which will enable the use of metallic foils on the artificial grain finish of the goatskin to produce further attractive finished surfaces and appearances therefor.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a process in accordance with the preceding objects which will enable the skins to be shriveled to a readily controllable extent and thereby obtain the extraordinary effect and appearance on the grain side of the skin.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a process which will enable the obtaining of a finished leather having a suede effect on the flesh side thereof and a novel grain effect on the grain side thereof.

And a more specific object of the invention is to provide a process for producing a controlled moisture content in the skins prior to ironing of the skins and wherein there is obtained a controlled moisture content of from 30% to 50% by weight in contrast with a conventional process of from 8% to 12% moisture content by weight in the skin.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a process whereby a novel grain effect is produced through a controlled shriveling of the skins through the successive steps of greatly increasing the moisture content of the skin and then ironing the skin with the increased moisture content to produce a shriveling action thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view indicating the sequence of steps performed in the process of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a goatskin having a finish produced in accordance with this invention and showing the artificial grain surface of the skin produced by the process; and,

FIGURE 3 is a view in vertical section upon an enlarged scale of the finished goatskin of FIGURE 2.

In accordance with the above invention there is provided a process whose purpose is to produce a finished leather material having an attractive and extraordinary grain effect imparted to the grain side thereof and which is quite dissimilar from conventional finished grain surfaces of leather goods. To this end a process is employed which is particularly satisfactory in the case of goatskins to produce a finished leather having the above-described characteristics.

Shown at 10 in FIGURE 3 is a portion of a sheet of atent leather such as goatskin which has a flesh side 12 thereof and a grain side 14 thereon. The grain side is shown provided with a grain finish as at 16 of a grainy or pebbled effect which is quite different from the usual finished grain side of a leather or goatskin and which produces a highly attractive but irregular surface. This surface is shown in plan in FIGURE 2 and the surface may be either left in its natural condition, may be coated with various metallic foils bonded thereto or may be given any other conventional treatment in order to produce a leather goods having various attractive properties.

In accordance with this invention the process is applied to a sheet of leather, preferably a goatskin which has been previously properly tanned either from vegetable or vegetable-chrome tan and which has a shrinkage temperature of not more than 208, as indicated in the station shown at 20 in the diagrammatic view of FIGURE 1. Variation in the shrink temperature below 208 will enable different grain patterns to be obtained, thereby varying the appearance of the resultant product. A skin having these characteristics and in this condition of treatment is dried in any suitable manner as indicated at station 22. It is at this point that the essence of the present invention is applied.

As indicated in the station 24 the flesh side 12 of the skins after leaving station 22 are moistened by applying moisture thereto in any suitable manner. For this purpose a sponge or any other means may be utilized to apply moisture to the fiesh side of the skin, and this moisture application is continued until the moistened skins have attained a moisture content of approximately 30% to 50% by weight. After the application of moisture, the skins are allowed five to ten minutes for the absorption of the moisture.

After this moisture condition is attained, the skins are moved from station 24 to that indicated at 26, at which time the skins are shriveled. It is this shriveling action which produces the desired unusual grain effect on the surface 16 of the finished skin. The shriveling operation is performed preferably by either a hand iron or a machine iron at a temperature of around 300 to 350 F. This causes the skins to shrivel as their moisture content is reduced by the ironing operation. If a sufficient shriveling action has not been obtained, the moistening operation of station 24 and the ironing operation of station 26 are repeated in sequence one or more times until the resultant shriveling action is deemed to be sufiicient.

The shriveling operation leaves the skin in a very hard and stiff condition. Accordingly, the skins are then moved to a softening station 28 Where the skins are softened by a working operation. Thus, such known operations as staking, boarding or drum milling may be employed which serve to stretch and work the skins sufiiciently to render them fiexible and having the desired degree of final pliability.

At this point, in some instances the process may be terminated and the resulting article will be found to be satisfactory for many uses. However, if desired, additional treatments may be accorded to the skins as for example the applying of a metallic coating to the grain side thereof in any suitable manner whereby the coating may be properly bonded, and/ or as shown at station 30, the flesh side of the skins may be buffed by machine to produce a suede effect on the flesh side.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claimed as new is as follows:

1. A process for producing an attractive artificial grain effect upon the grain side of a goatskin comprising the steps of increasing to about 30% to 50% by weight the moisture content of a skin by applying moisture to the flesh side thereof, allowing the skin to remain for a sufficient period of time for the applied moisture to penetrate into the cellular structure of the skin, then partially shriveling the moistened skin by ironing it at a temperature of about 300 to 350 F., increasing the extent of shriveling by repeating the consecutive steps of moistening 30% to 50% moisture content and ironing until a pronounced pebbled grain effect by shriveling of the skin has been obtained.

2. The process of claim 1 including the further step of. working the skin, after it has been shriveled to the desired extent until a desired softness and pliability has been attained.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of moisture penetration of the skin is continued for a period of from 5 to 10 minutes.

4. The process of claim 1 including the step of bonding a metallic foil to the grain side of the finished skin.

5. The process of claim 1 including the step of buffing the flesh side of the softened skin to thereby produce a suede effect thereon.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1933 Luzardo.

FOREIGN PATENTS 529,575 11/1940 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Wilson: Modern Practice in Leather Manufacture, pp. 485, 551-555 and 607; pub. 1941 by Reinhold Publ. Corp, New York, N.Y.

Fleming: Practical Tanning, 2nd Edition Revised, pp. 252-253; Pub. 1910 by H. C. Baird and Co., Phila, Pa.

I. TRAVIS BROWN, Acting Primaly Examiner.

ABRAHAM H. WINKELSTEIN,

NORMAN G. TORCHIN, Examiners.

D. LEVY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN ATTRACTIVE ARTIFICIAL GRAIN EFFECT UPON THE GRAIN SIDE OF A GOATSKIN COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INCREASING TO ABOUT 30% TO 50% BY WEIGHT THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF A SKIN BY APPLYING MOSITURE TO THE FLESH SIDE THEREOF, ALLOWING THE SKIN TO REMAIN FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME FOR THE APPLIED MOSITURE TO PENETRATE INTO THE CELLULAR STRUCTURE OF THE SKIN, THEN PARTIALLY SHRIVELING THE MOSITENED SKIN BY IRONING IT AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 300* TO 350*F., INCREASING THE EXTENT OF SHRIVELING BY REPEATING THE CONSECUTIVE STEPS OF MOISTENING 30% TO 50% MOISTURE CONTENT AND IRONING UNTIL A PRONOUNCED PEBBLED GRAIN EFFECT BY SHRIEVELING OF THE SKIN HAS BEEN OBTAINED. 